Combined walking stick and stool



July 9, 1957 G. B. SHEW COMBINED WALKING STICK AND STOOL Filed Aug. 15, 1955 INVEN7 "0R: GLENN B. SHEI/I/ BY fwd, MW

United States Patent p COMBINED WALKING STICK AND STOOL Glenn B. Shew, Long Beach, Calif.

Application August 15, 1955, Serial No. 528,348

Claims. (Cl. 155136) The present invention relates generally to the field of supporting devices, and more particularly to a portable device which when disposed in one position can be used or carried as a walking stick and when disposed in a second position provides a stable comfortable stool.

Although a number of combined walking sticks and stools have been devised and marketed in the past, the majority of these devices have had the disadvantages that they were heavy and cumbersome, were difficult to opcrate, and did not provide a stable stool on which a person could rest with safety.

The primary purpose in devising the present invention is to provide a light weight, portable, combined walking stick and stool that can be easily manipulated to assume a carrying position or stool forming position, and one which when in the position of a stool is extremely stable.

A major object of the present invention is to supply a light weight, portable, combined walking stick and collapsible stool that is easy to carry and operate, and when expanded provides a stool that is particularly characterized by its stability.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined walking stick and stool which is actuated to assume a supporting position by an independent mechanism that is of light-weight construction and is at no time subjected to the weight of the person resting on the stool.

A still further object of the invention is to supply a combined walking stick and stool in which a plurality of legs are so pivotally mounted as to interlock with one another in an expanded position to form a stable support for a sheet material that extends between the upper end portions thereof for supporting a person in a sitting position.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combined walking stick and stool in which the seat-forming material is so supported therefrom that it can be removably wrapped around the legs thereof to provide a compact article that is easy to carry.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment therein, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of combined walking stick and stool when disposed in condition to be carried;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of said device when expanded to provide a stool;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a locking member utilized in said device;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the encircled area designated 4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a top plan view taken from a point indicated by the arrow designated 5 in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view taken from a point indicated by the arrow designated 6 in Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 4.

2,798,536 PatentedJuly 9, 1957 Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings for the general arrangement of the invention, there is shown a combined walking stick and collapsible stool that can be disposed in a first position wherein it assumes an elongate compact shape (Figure 1), or in a second position in which it is expanded to provide a stable seat (Figure 2).

The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a rigid block-like member M having four vertically disposed sides to which the intermediate portion of four elongate supports D-1, D2, L1 and I2 are pivotally secured. These supports are hereinafter termed driver supports and idler supports. The upper portions of these four supports are aifixed to the corners of a generally rectangular seat C. Driver support D-l is the longest of the supports and terminates on its lower end in a resilient cap A of rubber, or the like. Driver support D-2 is the next longest of the supports and is so mounted on member M that idler supports L1 and l-2 can be manually pivoted away from one another to dispose the device in its seat-providing position of Figure 2, or may be pivoted inwardly toward one another to cause the device to assume the compact carrying position shown in Figure l. Idler supports I-1 and I2 simply move in conformity to the movement imparted to driver supports D1 and D-Z in a manner to be described hereinafter. Referring to Figure 5, it will be seen that driver supports D-1 and D-2 are pivotally mounted on a pin 10 that extends through member M, and that idler supports l-ll and I-2 are likewise pivotally supported from a pin 12 which is substantially normally disposed to pin it Pin 12 is vertically spaced from pin 10 and extends through member M. The driver and idler supports are preferably of hollow tubular construction and have metallic reinforcing sleeves 14, 16, 18 and 20, respectively, positioned thereon adjacent member M. The supports and reinforcing sleeves have transversely extending bores 15, l7, l9 and 21 formed therein through which are extended the pins 10 and 12. Although the driver and idler supports are shown pivotally connected to the member M by two vertically spaced pins 10 and 12, it should be noted that these supports may alternately be connected to member M by pivot members disposed on the same horizontal plane.

While the corners of seat C can be aflixed to the supports by a number of different means, it has been found convenient to secure a generally V-shaped strip 22 to each seat corner. The strips 22 when so attached define an outwardly disposed eye 24. A suitable metal fastener is provided for attaching the upper portions of each of the supports to the eyes 24. As shown in Figure 3 in the case of the driver supports D-1 and D-2 these metal fasteners are designated 26 and they include a pair of side legs 27 and 28 which are interconnected by a base leg 29. The base leg 29 extends through the eye 24. The ends of legs 27 and 28 remote from leg 29 are turned inwardly at 30 for engagement with the driver supports. Referring to Figures 4 and 7, in the case of the idler supports I-1 and I-2 these metal fasteners 32 include a pair of side legs 33 and 34 which are interconnected at their upper ends by a loop 35 which extends through the eye 24. The opposite ends of the legs 33 and 34 are inturned as indicated at 36. The legs 33 and 34- of each metal fastener 32 are disposed with a pair of grooves 37 formed in either side of a plug 38, the fasteners inturned portions 36 extending through a horizontal bore 37 formed in the lower portion of this plug. The plugs 38 are secured within the upper ends of the idler supports I-1 and I2.

Idler supports I-1 and L2 reflect movement imparted to driver suports D-1 and D-2, and move concurrently therewith, inasmuch as each of these supports have in wardly extending rigid links L1, L-2, L-3 and L-4, re-

3 spectively, pivotally connected thereto. Links L-l', L-2, L3 and L-4 are connected by transversely disposed pins 44 42, 44 and 48 to the lower portions of supports D-l, 13-2, -1 and 1-2. Transverse bores are formed in the inwardly disposed ends of links L1, L-Z, L-3 and L4, which bores receive av pair of pivot pins 50 and 52 out-.- Wardly from the vertical sides of a rigid, rectangular centerpiece 58 of square crossasecti'o'n, as shown in Figure 6.

The upper end of driver support D2 terminates in a locking member E that removably engages driver support D1 to hold the invention in the elongate position shown in Figure 1. Locking member E is shown in. detail in Figure 3 and it includes a body 90 from one end of which depends a cylindrical insert 92. This insert is adapted to be rigidly received by the upper endof the driver support 13-2. The body 90 is formed with a recess 96 which is adapted to receive the upper portion of the driver support D-l, at a point below a carrying handleaB. The driver support D-1 is releasably secured within the recess 96 by means of a curved spring element 98. Pref erably, the body 94) is formed of plastic and the spring element 98 may be molded therein, as indicated in Figure 3. It will also be observed in Figure 3 that the upper end of the driver sleeve D Z is formed with a pair of aligned bores 100, and the insert 92 of the locking member E is formed with a horizontal bore 104 that is in alignment with the bores 109. These bores 1M and 104 pivotally receive the ends 39 of the metal fastener 26 as is also shown in Figure 3.

The combined walking stick and stool of the present invention is so arranged that when it is moved from its expanded position of Figure 2 to its compact elongate carrying form of Figure l, the seat C automatically di vides into four quadrants, each of which is generally rectangular, as indicated in Figure l. A snap fastener element 108 is secured to the underside of the outer edge of one of these quadrants. This snap fastener element 108 is adapted to be releasably secured to a complementary snap-fastener element. (not shown) secured to the outer edge of the underside of one of the other quadrants. These snap fastener elements removably hold the seatin a tightly wound configuration about the driver andidler supports.

The use and operation of the aforedescribed combined walking stick and stool is extremely simple. As shown in Figure 1, the device is adapted to be carried in an elongate compact position by means of its-handle B, preferably with the seat C in tightly wrapped around position described immediately hereinabove. When so carried it is admirably suited to be employed as a Walking stick, the resilient cap A engaging the ground. When it is desired to use the device as a stool the rocking member E is disengaged from the upper portion of the driver support D1. The upper ends of the two driver supports D1 and D2 are then manually pivoted in opposite directions. This pivoting motion affects concurrent outward movement of the upper ends of the two' idler supports 1-1 and I2 by virtue of their interconnection by means of the links L-1, L-2, L-3 and L4. The movement of the driver supports D 1 and D-Z is continued until the device assumes the shape shown in Figure 2.

The device is re-folded to its position of Figure l by manually pivoting the upper ends of the driver supports D-1 and D-2 inwardly towards one another until they are substantially parallel. Such movement is again concurrently transferred to the idler supports 1-1 and 1-2. When the driver supports are in their substantially parallel position, the upper portion of the driver support D-1 will be engaged within the recess 96 of the locking member E. Thereafter, the snap fastener element 108 may be engaged with its mate so as to hold the seat C in its wrapped-around position relative to the driver and idle] supports.

While there has been shown and described hereinafter what is presently considered to be the preferred embodia ment of the present invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A combined walking stick and collapsible stool, comprising: a pair of elongated driver supports, one being longer than the other; a pair of equal length elongated idler supports which are shorter than said driver supports; connection means pivotally interconnecting the intermediate portion of said supports whereby they may be moved between a first position wherein they are substantially parallel and a second position wherein their ends are spaced apart, the length of said supports below said connection means being substantially equal; a handle formed at the upper end of the longer driver support; a locking member formed at the upper end of the other driver support for engagement with the upper portion of the longer driver support below said handle so as to releasably maintain said supports in their first position; a pliable seat aflixed to the upper portions of said supports at a substantially equal distance from their lower ends; and, a linkage mechanism interposed between said supports and vertically spaced from said connection means whereby motion applied to the upper portion of said driver supports so as to urge them from one position to the other will effect concurrent motion of said idler supports.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 where said locking member includes a body formed with a recess for receiving said driver support, and a spring element disposed in said recess for resiliently retaining said driver support therein.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 where said locking member includes a body formed with a recess for receiving said driver support, and a spring element disposed in said recess for resiliently retaining said driver support therein; and wherein said linkage mechanism includes a rectangular block of square horizontal cross-section and four link elements, one end of each of the latter being pivotally connected to one side of said block and the opposite end thereof being pivotally connected to a support at a point spaced intermediate of the lower end of the support and said connection means.

4.. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a protective cap is aflixed to the lower end of the longer driver support so that the combined length of said cap and longer driver support below said connection means is appreciably longer than the length of the other supports below said connection means whereby when said device is collapsed to serve as a walking stick, said cap prevents groundengaging contact of said other supports.

5. A combined walking stick and collapsible stool, comprising: a pair of elongated driver supports, one being longer than the other; a pair of equal length elongated idler supports which are shorter than said driver supports; connection means comprising a block formed with a pair of vertically spaced substantially normally arranged horizontal bores and a pair of pivot pins which extend through said bores, one of said pins pivotally supporting said driver supports and the other pin pivotally supporting said idler supports, the length of said supports below said connection means being substantially equal; a handle formed at the upper end of the longer driver support; a locking member body formed at the upper end of the other driver support formed with a recess for engagement with the upper portion of the longer driver support below said handle; a spring element disposed in said recess for resiliently retaining said longer driver support therein; a pliable seat affixed to the upper portions of said supports at a substantially equal distance from their lower ends; a rectangular block of square horizontal cross-section; and four link elements, one end of each of said link elements being pivotally connected to one side of said rectangular block and the opposite end thereof being pivotally connected to one of said supports at a point spaced intermediate of the lower end of the support and said connection means whereby motion applied to the upper portion of said driver supports so as to urge them between open and collapsed position will effect concurrent motion of said idler supports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 161,196 Beagle Mar. 23, 1875 6 Hill May 12, 1885 Abbott May 7, 1889 Sheffy et al. Ian. 1, 1901 Anton July 29, 1902 Jacquet Oct. 31, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland June 1, 1901 

